3 Kansas City Chiefs fans found frozen outside home of friend who had 'no knowledge' of deaths: lawyer
FILE-The Chiefs logo on a flag before a week 10 NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A Kansas City, Missouri, homeowner whose three friends' frozen bodies were found in his backyard two days after they gathered to watch a Kansas City Chiefs game had "no knowledge" of the tragedy unfolding in his backyard earlier this month, according to his attorney.
The Kansas City Police Department told Fox News Digital that they do not suspect foul play in the deaths of 38-year-old Ricky Johnson, 36-year-old Clayton McGeeney and 37-year-old David Harrington.
Friends and family members of the three men say that they had all gathered at a friend's house to watch the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Los Angeles Chargers on the night of Jan. 7.
The Kansas City Police Department announced that the men's bodies were discovered at 9:51 p.m. Jan. 9 after one man's fiancée requested a welfare check. One man's body was found on the back porch of the home on the 5200 block of NW 83rd Terrace, while the other two were in the backyard.
The men had apparently frozen to death.
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"First and foremost, this case is 100% NOT being investigated as a homicide," Captain Jake Becchina of the Kansas City Police Department told Fox News Digital.
"There have not been any arrests [or] charges, and no one is in custody. There are no specific threats or concerns for the surrounding community at this time," Becchina said. "The resident at the house was cooperative with detectives the day the deceased were discovered."
It is unclear whether alcohol or drugs were involved in the men's deaths. Becchina said toxicology reports should be available within the coming weeks.
Neighbor Suzanne Reichart told FOX 4 that she had no idea the three men were imperiled across the street.
"It’s very scary because I heard nothing. I’m home most of the time, but I didn’t hear anything," said Reichart.
"It’s kind of disturbing. It makes you wonder what’s going on," Reichart continued. "But if we don’t know yet, could it have been CO? It got cold all of a sudden."
Family and friends of the three football fans have taken to social media, clamoring for answers and questioning the motivations of the homeowner, who Fox News Digital has chosen not to name because no criminal charges have been filed.
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Allegedly, they claim, they sent numerous messages to the homeowner in the days before police were called.
"This man was inside his home alive while my friends were dead in his yard for lord knows how long," Kaylee La Tier wrote in a Facebook post earlier this month. "They were all hanging out since after the game Sunday. He KNEW people were looking for them. He read messages of people searching for him on Tuesday."
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"My husband banged on his door for 20 [minutes]," La Tier continued. "My friend banged on his door and then busted a window and yelled and announced her presence while she's inside and still nothing from him? Then the cops come 10 [minutes] later and he comes out nonchalant in his boxers with an empty wine glass in hand??! Nothing is adding up. Dave, Clay and Ricky need and deserve justice."
John Picerno, an attorney representing the homeowner, said his client had no idea his friends were dead until police knocked on his door.
"He had no knowledge that they remained in his backyard or that they needed medical attention," Picerno stated in a news release sent to FOX 4.
Moreover, the attorney claims, his client did not hear two people that came looking for the men at his house – he was allegedly sleeping with headphones and a loud fan. Although the attorney acknowledged that one of the men's wives contacted his client on Facebook Messenger, he said the homeowner did not see the message until after police made contact.
Although two of his friends' cars were parked on the street outside his house, Picerno said, it "would not be unusual for his friends to have left their cars there overnight."
"[The homeowner] is unaware of how his friends died," Picerno told The Kansas City Star. "Like the rest of us, [the homeowner] is anxiously awaiting the results of the autopsy and toxicology report… On behalf of [the homeowner] and his family, we wish to express our deepest sympathies to the friends and family members of these young men, and our thoughts and prayers are with them."
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Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital. Email story tips to christina.coulter@fox.com.